Thoughts on Offensive and Defensive Cybersecurity

Guidelines to Become a Security Architect

As the use of technology expands, the need for security architects grows. Security architects use an array of technological expertise to minimize security risks for their clients. They focus on security domains such as physical security, risk management, application development, and network security. Their goal is to remedy security breaches by formulating big-picture solutions and mediating between upper management and IT departments. Furthermore, security architects must think like hackers to anticipate the most likely scenarios in which breaches would occur. While they often have a broad scope of proficiencies, they chiefly deal with maintaining computer networks. Moreover, security architects must continually upkeep their computer infrastructures and adapt to challenges involved with new cyber threats. They benefit from credentials such as college degrees, certificates, and work experience.

Job placement for security architects usually demands a decent degree of higher education. Though not strictly necessary, employers often expect a bachelor’s degree in IT related fields like computer science. A four year program in computer science typically hones in on programming languages, operating systems, and infrastructure. In addition, a bachelor’s in software engineering would act as a possible substitute for a degree in computer science. Software engineering programs typically cover skillsets that involve networking, computer architecture, and database management. On the whole, it’s not absolutely essential to have an IT related degree. However, it vastly improves one’s ability to land the job if they have some kind of bachelor’s degree in general. A minor in business or data analytics would further improve one’s stature, as these subjects heavily pertain to vocational priorities and customer needs.

Beyond undergraduate education, credentials like certifications also increase one’s likelihood of becoming a security architect. The Certified Information Systems Security Professional certificate offers a reliable way for employers to know a candidate has the expertise they require. For example, it requires four years of work experience and a passing grade in the CISSP exam. This certification indicates proficiency in a common body of knowledge associated with systems security. Furthermore, the Certified Ethical Hacker certificate also stands out as respectable evidence of skillfulness. It focuses on enhancing the student’s ability to think like a hacker, analyze vulnerabilities, and patch weaknesses in a computer system. Generally, students must pass a test and undergo specialized training to receive the CEH certificate.

Besides education, work experience also serves as a token of great merit. Most employers searching for security architects employ candidates who have several years of work experience under their belt. More than other forms of work, practice in an IT related field shows that a candidate has knowledge relevant to systems security. For instance, experience as a software engineer would work as a statistically reliable means of gaining inclusion in a company. Software engineering heavily relates to application development, and application development neatly dovetails with application security. Experience in other forms of IT jobs, like computer networking or database management, would be relevant as well.

Overall, security architects profit heavily from certifications, college degrees, and job experience. They need such credentials because it shows they have the necessary skillset to perform adequately. Security architects generally must know how to focus on sustaining their computer networks. Furthermore, they should know how malicious cybercriminals think in order to anticipate potential acts of cybercrime. To serve their companies, they ought to know how to work with various departments and create overarching security architecture. Their bottom line is to mitigate the risks involved with valuable data and assets. As public and private sectors grow to depend on technology, so too will they need security architects to minimize risks.